Andre didn’t let me go until after he started the shower. Then he backed away. “I’ll leave you to it.”
I fiddled with the ties of my robe. “You don’t have to go,” I said, somewhat shyly, my earlier courage now nowhere to be seen.
Andre’s expression was tormented. “God, soulmate, I would love nothing more. But I can’t.”
“Why?”
Regret swam in his eyes. “Because I cannot know how the devil will punish you for it.”
The thought had crossed my mind, but I didn’t care then, and I didn’t care now.
“Once he might forgive, but if you continuously betrayed him—I won’t risk it.”
“Andre—”
“No, soulmate, on this I won’t budge.”
When I realized he was being dead serious, I bit out, “Fine.”
I undid the ties of my robe, and let the garment slide off my shoulders, not bothering to cover myself.
His jaw clenched. “Don’t tempt me. My good intentions only go so far.”
“Then leave.” I tried to sound confident, but the words came out full of hurt. I stood naked and bared for him, and I felt spurned.
My voice was the cue he waited for.
He pushed me against the wall, his hands in my hair and his lips on my mouth. I gasped, and Andre took advantage of the action, his tongue pushing its way against mine.
So much for him not budging.
I returned the kiss, mussing his hair as I wrapped myself up in him. He groaned into my mouth, and all my momentary insecurities vanished.
With reluctance, he pulled away from me. “I can’t, soulmate,” he said against my lips, breathing heavily. “As much as I want to, I can’t have you incur the devil’s wrath even more than you already have. Please don’t force the issue.”
I swallowed and nodded.
“Thank you.” He pressed a soft kiss to my lips. Then he bowed his head and left me to my shower.
Andre
Only when he was far away from Gabrielle did Andre allow himself to slam his fist into the wall. At this point, he wasn’t even sure what he was pissed about. The devil’s new claim to her? The very real possibility that the man might punish her for sleeping with Andre? Or turning Gabrielle down when neither knew how much time they had together?
The anger dissipated into steely resolve, and he continued down the hall. One of his men intercepted him.
“Sire,” he said, “the Politia just arrived outside our gates.”
In spite of himself, Andre’s lips curved up. They picked the perfect time to come knocking.
“They’re demanding we turn over Gabrielle.”
“That’s not going to happen. Prepare the men and alert the coven members that remain. I will meet with the Politia and let them know what I think about their demands,” he said darkly.
His man nodded and split off to see to his orders.
Andre headed for his room, where his fondest weapons were kept. At the back of his closet rested a timeworn chest. Crouching in front of it, he ran a hand over the wood.
The modern world was usually tame. But thanks to his bond with Gabrielle, he’d seen more violence in the last several months than he had in the last century. And the predator in him was pleased.
He unlatched the chest’s bindings and swung it open. Inside, his favorite swords and daggers rested.
Andre strapped the swords to his back, his movements jerky due to his agitation. That gaping maw he still felt in his soul, it was real. Worse, there was the very real threat that his soulmate could transfer her affections from Andre to the devil through the god’s trickery.
He wouldn’t let that happen. Whatever it took to win her over, he’d do it. The connection wasn’t everything. People fell in love all the time without the aid of a bond. And if the bond was all there ever was to his relationship, well then, severing it should’ve released him, not imprisoned him more than ever.
He clenched his jaw, an angry smile stretching across his face as he threaded a belt around his waist. He’d love nothing more than tearing into her enemies.
The shower still ran. He’d let his soulmate be—for now.
He stalked back down the hall. It was time to remind the Politia why he was someone you didn’t cross.
BOOM.
Bishopcourt shook as something powerful blasted against it.
Those bastards hadn’t even waited for him to tell them to shove their orders up their asses. They’d gone straight to declarations of war.
Andre pulled his twin blades out from his back, rolling his wrists and swinging the swords lightly. The last time he’d wielded these, it had been to deliver Gabrielle’s retribution. A grim sort of satisfaction spread through him at the thought that he’d use these blades once again on her behalf.
Tonight he would be her champion in earnest.
Chapter 9
Gabrielle
I relaxed under the spray of the shower. Water pelted my skin, and after hours in that hollow underworld, the sensation felt indescribably good.
I leaned against the wall. So screwed. I was so, so screwed.
BOOM!
The explosion threw me to the floor of the shower stall.